Mazmur 36:11

36:11 Do not let arrogant men overtake me,

or let evil men make me homeless! ¹ 

Mazmur 59:4

59:4 Though I have done nothing wrong, ²  they are anxious to attack. ³ 

Spring into action and help me! Take notice of me! ⁴ 

Mazmur 80:2

80:2 In the sight of Ephraim, Benjamin, and Manasseh reveal ⁵  your power!

Come and deliver us! ⁶ 

Mazmur 82:5

82:5 They ⁷  neither know nor understand.

They stumble ⁸  around in the dark,

while all the foundations of the earth crumble. ⁹ 

[36:11]  ¹ tn Heb “let not a foot of pride come to me, and let not the hand of the evil ones cause me to wander as a fugitive.”

[59:4]  ² tn Heb “without sin.”

[59:4]  ³ tn Heb “they run and they are determined.”

[59:4]  ⁴ tn Heb “arise to meet me and see.” The Hebrew verb קָרָא (qara’, “to meet; to encounter”) here carries the nuance of “to help.”

[80:2]  ⁵ tn Heb “stir up”; “arouse.”

[80:2]  ⁶ tn Heb “come for our deliverance.”

[82:5]  ⁷ sn Having addressed the defendants, God now speaks to those who are observing the trial, referring to the gods in the third person.

[82:5]  ⁸ tn Heb “walk.” The Hitpael stem indicates iterative action, picturing these ignorant “judges” as stumbling around in the darkness.

[82:5]  ⁹ sn These gods, though responsible for justice, neglect their duty. Their self-imposed ignorance (which the psalmist compares to stumbling around in the dark) results in widespread injustice, which threatens the social order of the world (the meaning of the phrase all the foundations of the earth crumble).